


Denn die Toten reiten schnell

by NeuroWriter14



Series: NW14 Does Halloween [11]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: But its ambiguous how, Do not repost, Dracula AU, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, M/M, Vampire Hunter!Hannibal Lecter, Vampire!Will Graham, Will Graham Knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:34:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26963776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeuroWriter14/pseuds/NeuroWriter14
Summary: The Lecters were a well-known family of vampire hunters. Hannibal Lecter, the heir to the Lecter family, hears of a vampire hiding in a castle far from town, and goes to hunt him. Only to fall in love with him.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: NW14 Does Halloween [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946689
Comments: 6
Kudos: 150
Collections: Hannibal





	Denn die Toten reiten schnell

Hannibal looked up at the castle looming over him. The driver of the carriage refused to bring him even to the gates of the castle, so Hannibal had walked to it, seeing the castle grow closer and closer by the moment. Eventually, though, he found his way to the castle gates. There was no light in the castle, nothing to indicate that there was any life within it, yet Hannibal was certain there was someone, or rather something, watching him from one of the high windows of the building. The castle had high walls, large dusty windows, and roofs which came to a point. The mountain served as the backdrop to the castle and was somehow more lit in the moonlight than the castle was. 

Hannibal reached forward, pressing a hand to the cold metal gate which immediately swung open on his touch. He stepped inside, nearing the castle. He was only a few steps away from the door when it finally swung open and a dark figure stepped into the night air. 

He had heard rumors of the creature in the castle, a being of the night who fed on blood. They lived in fear of the castle and its inhabitant, so much that he had been named Dracula, after the devil. 

But the man who appeared before him didn't remind Hannibal of the devil at all. He would have thought the man an angel, a god. The man held a candle in his hand, which illuminated his face. He had slight scruff on his jaw, red lips, brilliant ocean-colored eyes, and cherubic curls. He cocked his head as Hannibal neared and Hannibal's usually controlled and stoic brain went blank for a moment. 

"Can I help you?" Dracula asked, his voice sinking right into Hannibal's heart. He was utterly entranced by this man. And that was one of the terrible things he had been warned about. Hannibal had hunted several vampires before, but only this one was truly as enticing as he was warned vampires were. His family had hunted vampires for years. His sister was elsewhere, hunting a vampire nicknamed the Succubus, a woman who entranced men and other women and lured them to their deaths. His mother and father were killed by a vampire, but his aunt and uncle kept the family tradition of hunting them. And Hannibal hunted them as well. He hunted other things too. 

Hannibal had a unique appetite, which required him to be careful around the creatures of the night as well as the humans. 

But his normal controlled nature abandoned him the moment he saw the man who haunted the nearby town. 

"I'm sorry," He said eventually, forcing his brain to work once again. "I'm a little lost and was hoping for a place to stay." 

The man cocked his head, those brilliant eyes feeling as though they bored into Hannibal's very soul. 

"I'm surprised." He turned slightly back toward his door. "Most aren't brave enough to come this far." 

"I'm not like most." 

Dracula paused in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at Hannibal once more. "So it would seem." He paused for a moment. "Come." 

Hannibal shifted his bag over his shoulder and followed the man into his home.

The castle was exactly as he expected from the outside. It had high walls with crimson colors that bled to the floor. Wooden banisters sat on either side of the wooden staircase directly in front of Hannibal. Massive windows framed the staircase, letting moonlight inside. There were some candles and torches here and there which barely lit the castle. The vampire led him through the castle to a room off to their left from where they entered with a massive fireplace that warmed Hannibal to his bones. Bookcases lined the walls with tomes in various languages from what Hannibal could see. He set his bag down carefully in the entryway as the vampire placed his candle down on the table between two chairs. 

He looked back to Hannibal and gestured to one of the chairs. 

"You must be wary after your travels." Dracula practically purred. "I'll fetch you some food and water." 

"You don't have to," Hannibal began, feigning politeness. 

"Nonsense." The vampire answered. He gestured to the chair once more before gliding from the room. 

Hannibal looked around, his eyes jumping over the various books and the room itself. He was no stranger to vampires. He was a stranger, however, to being so entranced by one of them. 

The vampire strode back into the room, setting down some of the cleanest water Hannibal had ever seen and a warm meal. 

"Eat," He instructed.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Hannibal asked, feigning ignorance at what the other man was. 

The other's bright blue eyes gleamed in the firelight. "You must truly be lost to not know the time." His lips twitched slightly. "I ate earlier this evening. But please, indulge yourself. I shan't take offense."

"Thank you," Hannibal said quietly, moving forward to the chair the other gestured him to once again. 

The other watched him as he ate, his ocean colored eyes jumping over his form with thinly veiled amusement. Hannibal finished his meal and drank the water, humming in satisfaction after he was done. The vampire looked satisfied at Hannibal's enjoyment, turning to look into the fire and finally away from Hannibal. He took his chance then to study the creature. He knew what he had to do. Vampires weren't easily defeated, Hannibal would have to wait for the perfect chance to kill him. Most were easily dispatched by the sunlight, or a stake to the heart if he wanted it over quickly. No matter what, though, they dissolved into dust at his hand. He would wait until the vampire slept. Then, he would find his resting place and end him. A stake would do it. He didn't want this beautiful vampire to suffer. 

Immediately, he chided himself for reluctance to hurt the creature across from him. Vampires were evil, murderers — not that Hannibal was much better, — creatures who couldn't feel and didn't care. This being in front of him was of the same darkness that took his parents. He couldn't let his heart soften toward them now. No matter how beautiful. 

"Are you tired?" Dracula asked eventually, turning from the fire to look at him. 

Hannibal thought for a moment. Sleeping around a vampire was risky, but he wouldn't stand a chance against the other until the morning. He should sleep. He would need his strength. 

"Yes."

The vampire nodded, standing. It was only then that Hannibal noted he wore a cape, which flowed behind him as he moved. Hannibal stood quickly, following the man as he walked through the castle, stopping only to grab his bag, before hurrying to catch up. The vampire led him up the stairs and through twisting and turning passageways until they found themselves in one of the higher, more secluded apartments of the castle. 

"This wing has not been used in some time," The vampire's voice was soft. "But it is the warmest and stays the driest during the rains." 

The vampire knelt in the sitting room, shuffling some of the logs in front of the fireplace which looked like it hadn't been used in some years. A fire suddenly sprung to life, filling the sitting room with warmth quickly. 

"Everything is clean." The other stood, brushing off his knees. "I keep it meticulous. There are servants who stay elsewhere on the grounds. I normally would have them tend to you but you arrived rather late." The vampire's voice was teasing in nature, as though he were poking fun at Hannibal's late arrival, as though he were an expected friend who arrived too late in the night. "I will have them see to you in the morning." He gestured to one of the two doors. "There is a bedroom for you through there. And a washroom there. You'll have to pump the water but it is clean enough." 

Hannibal nodded. "Thank you. You are too kind." 

"You were a traveler, weary from the road. It would be cruel to turn you away. And any guest is treated with respect." The vampire looked around the room. "I hope you find this to your liking." He began to step toward the door that Hannibal was still blocking. "If there is nothing else-"

Hannibal noticed his position finally and stepped aside to let the vampire pass. "No. Thank you." 

The vampire nodded once before he swept from the room, pausing in the doorway. "I didn't catch your name." 

He turned, facing the man. "Hannibal Lecter." 

The vampire bowed his head slightly. "Sleep well, Mr. Lecter."

He didn't have a chance to ask the other his name before he vanished, leaving only a small trail of light from his candle behind him.

Hannibal had never slept as well as he did that night.

The next morning, he was awoken by the hustle of servants entering the room. One stopped and bowed slightly. "Good morning, Sir." She greeted. "Master said we are to tend to you. Breakfast is being prepared and your morning wash is drawn." Hannibal pushed himself up on his elbows in the bed. "Is there anything else you require, Sir?"

"No, thank you." He answered, blinking sleep from his eyes.

He wasn't surprised to find he was dining alone, save for the servants who bustled in and out of the room, making certain he was taken care of. 

"Tell me," He said to one servant whose name he learned was Peter. "What is your master like?"

"The master is a good man," Peter's voice was weak and he sometimes stuttered his words. Hannibal wondered if it was due to fear, but eventually, he reasoned it was just how the man was. He avoided eye contact and often wouldn't talk when he was holding something. "A private man. He keeps to himself. Treats us well."

"I'm certain you've heard the rumors about him. And this castle." It was risky to ask the vampire's servants about him, but if they were afraid of him, they might be more willing to help Hannibal rid the world of him. 

"Lies." Peter snapped quickly, only to wince and return to his task of maintaining the fire. "He is a good man." 

That was the last he heard from the man before he scurried from the room. Hannibal finished his breakfast and decided to explore the castle. He didn't know how late in the morning it was, but to anyone else, it should be strange that the master of the house was absent when he had a guest to attend to. But Hannibal knew better, and he didn't mind. He explored the room he had been in the day before, letting his fingers trail over the various books. A well-read vampire. It should have been amusing. 

He continued his exploration of the castle, finding room after room empty and devoid of any life. He had excellent views of the mountain behind the castle that apparently the castle was carved into. There were several large gardens off to the south side of the castle, filled with foods of every kind. Hannibal saw several workers and the rather nice houses they lived in as he explored the grounds. He learned that the vampire was one of the larger employers of the area, growing foods that were sent to the town below. He could see the town from one of the west-facing windows. It looked so small below him.

It took most of the morning and part of the afternoon for his exploration to finally pay off with what he wanted. 

The very last rooms he found were the rooms belonging to the vampire himself. They were dark, reminding Hannibal of night. A fire simmer in the corner, likely dying out. The sitting room was nothing exciting, almost identically to Hannibal's. He followed the door that he knew led to the bedroom. Just as the sitting room was, the bedroom was dark as night. Hannibal could see the outline of the vampire in his bed, the blankets over him shifting with his breath. Hannibal stepped closer, pulling the stake he had kept hidden on his person throughout the day. It would be easy to kill him now. He stepped up to the side of the bed, finally seeing the other's face as best he could in the dark.

He reminded Hannibal so much of an angel when he finally saw him. His curls fell across his forehead, his face was soft in his sleep. Hannibal had the stake raised as he approached the bed, ready to strike. But now that he was here, he felt the stake lowering, his hand dropping of its own accord.

He couldn't do it.

He couldn't kill this vampire. 

He sighed, stepping back. He should. He couldn't. He should. He couldn't.

He quietly crept from the room, unaware of the eyes following him on his way out.

* * *

He stayed at the castle for two weeks before he finally had a chance to speak with the house's master once again. The vampire had invited him for dinner that night when Hannibal awoke in the morning, an elegant note awaiting him on one of the tables in his sitting room. He spent the majority of the day trying to reinforce the various lessons he learned throughout his childhood. Vampires were creatures to be killed. They didn't have mercy. Hannibal couldn't show them mercy in return. 

He had berated himself the failed in his attempt to rid the world of this vampire. 

Perhaps it was just the kind things that were said about the man by his staff. Perhaps it was the kindness the man had shown him when he arrived. Perhaps it was the fact that he found himself attracted to the vampire. It was probably a trick he had told himself. Vampires were excellent seducers. He couldn't let himself fall to the supernatural charms. 

He had snuck into the vampire's room once more in an attempt to kill him, but again, he had failed in his task. Perhaps he needed the man to see him, for him to understand why he had to die for him to finally have the chance to kill him. That was what he needed, he reasoned with himself. The man was kind, he deserved to know why he had to die. 

He washed up just as the sun began to dip below the horizon. He knew he was spending too much time on his appearance. Just as the vampire attracted him, Hannibal had a similar effect on other people. He had high, predominant cheekbones; bright amber eyes, and an alluring smile that he had used to lure people to their deaths, not unlike the vampire did. But Hannibal was a human. Humans killing humans was not unnatural. But Dracula was something not belonging to nature and it was Hannibal's job to return nature to its balance. 

He dressed in the clothes that were left out for him, though he had to admit he was surprised that the vampire had taken time to have a suit tailored for his guests even though he was asleep for most of the day. Hannibal had only caught glimpses of the vampire later in the day and often he didn't see him at all at night.

He had thought, one night, that he woke to see the vampire watching him from the end of his bed. But when he blinked, nothing was filling the space where he thought ocean eyes watched him. 

The vampire greeted him for dinner, waiting by the fire as Hannibal entered the room. The vampire turned, smiling slightly. 

"The country and castle agree with you, Mr. Lecter." The vampire turned to face him fully. He wore dress pants, a tucked-in white shirt, and a blue jacket which made his eyes stand out. "You look far better than the night we met." 

Hannibal's lips twitched. "I appreciate you allowing me to stay." He moved to the chair Dracula gestured him to, sitting as the other did. "I hope I am not burdening you." 

The other raised an eyebrow as the wine was poured. "Burdening? Nonsense." His fingers grazed the glass in front of him as the first course was set on the table. "Thank you." He murmured slightly to Peter. "You are welcome to stay as long as you wish." 

"I appreciate your hospitality." 

The other hummed in response, taking a sip of his wine while looking over the rim of the glass at Hannibal. Hannibal mirrored him after a moment, tasting the sweetness he had smelled moments before when the wine was poured. 

"I do hope my staff is treating you well." The vampire pierced a piece of fruit with his utensil, raising it slowly to his mouth. 

"They are quite kind. And they speak highly of you." 

The other hummed in response. They were quiet for a moment, each studying the other between bites of fruit.

"How did one wander so far?" Dracula asked after a moment. "Certainly you noted the town from the windows. You could have gone there. Yet you chose to stay." 

"It was a simple adventure. I am traveling for some time before I return home and take up my place."

"The head of house," The other said, as though he caught onto Hannibal's train of thought. "This is not a position you seek." 

Hannibal cocked his head slightly, studying the other. He had heard rumors that vampires could enter minds, but for most, that had been untrue. Perhaps this one could. If that was the truth, then he knew who Hannibal was and why he was there. And yet he was dining with him as though he were any other guest and not someone who hunted his kind for a living.

"No," Hannibal said eventually. "I quite like exploring the world." 

"Yet you are expected to return home. Marry. Produce heirs." The man watched him around the rim of his glass once more.

"Yes," Hannibal answered. "I am also to find a suitable match for my sister. As the head of house, it is my job to make certain she is matched well." 

"You do not seem to want that, is your sister like you?" 

"She is," Hannibal answered. Though his mind added in an addendum. _In more ways than one._

"Adventuring is not for most," The vampire said, allowing his now empty plate to be taken away. "Only for those of open minds and strong constitutions." 

"Have you ever adventured?" Hannibal asked. 

The man's lips twitched. "Not in some time." 

Hannibal looked him over. The vampire didn't seem any older than Hannibal, though that meant nothing. Vampires no longer aged once they were turned. This man could be hundreds of years old for all Hannibal knew.

The next course was placed in front of them and Hannibal was immediately bathed in the savory smells of the meal. The meat looked fresh and was accompanied by some vegetable that Hannibal didn't know, much to his surprise. The other watched him carefully as Hannibal cut into the meat. He raised it slowly to his lips, smelling the various herbs that the meat was rubbed in before he set it on his tongue. Immediately, he was accosted by a variety of flavors as he chewed, but one was incredibly apparent. 

Human.

This meat was human. 

He avoided tipping his hand and giving away any indication that he knew the origin of the meat, but his mind whirred. Either the vampire was feeding him human because he was a vampire or because he somehow _knew._ And Hannibal didn't know which was worse. 

They spent the rest of the course in silence. Though the other watched him curiously throughout it. Eventually, the plates were taken away and another was placed in front of him. Within what appeared to be an orange was a pudding of sorts, made of chocolate and something else Hannibal couldn't identify on sight.

"Sanguinaccio dolce," The vampire said softly. 

"Sanguine," Hannibal repeated taking a spoonful of the dessert and bringing it closer, sniffing it slightly. "Blood." 

"Very good," Dracula answered. 

"Can't imagine this would be good for appearances," Hannibal said quietly, spooning the dessert into his mouth. "Given your reputation." 

The other laughed then, his brilliant blue eyes lighting up as he did. His teeth were incredibly white, and normal. Hannibal expected fangs, but instead, he was met with a mouth that was incredibly human-looking. Either the town was wrong about him, or this vampire was nothing he had ever seen before. 

"Dracula," He said softly, the word rolling from his lips with an accent that he didn't have before. It sent a shiver down Hannibal's spine and for a moment, he wondered if those lips could continue sending shivers through him. "It comes from the word Dracul. It means devil." His eyes flicked back to Hannibal's. "Do you think me the devil, Mr. Lecter?"

Some part of him chided himself for falling so utterly into the entrancing gaze of the other. He could feel emotions, beyond the curiosity he eventually admitted to himself that he had after that first night. Some part of him wanted to know, to see this vampire. And dinner hadn't helped. He began to suspect that on some level, the vampire knew what he was. And what his tastes were. And yet he didn't seem to care.

"I think it is not what I think that matters. Only fact." 

"You do not consider opinions fact?" 

"Are you the devil?" Hannibal looked him in the eye as he asked, feeling that same shiver run down his spine.

The other's lips twitched slightly before he dropped his head, laughing again. "I certainly hope I would know the devil if I meet him. But I am not him, Mr. Lecter." The other purred. "Those in the town call me Dracula." His eyes sparkled as he lifted his head to look at Hannibal once more. "My name is Will." 

"Do you have a family name?" 

The other smirked slightly. "Just Will." 

"Very well then," Hannibal set down his spoon. "If you are to be Will, then I would hope you would call me Hannibal. No need for only one of us to continue formality." 

"Very well," The other answered. "Hannibal."

* * *

They had dinner after dinner together over the next two weeks. A month, he had lived at the castle, and every day he found himself less and less willing to kill the vampire who owned it. Still, he didn't see Will during the day, but they dined together at night. After dinner, they would spend hours in the same study that Will had brought him to that first day, talking about everything from the grounds to the devil. Will indulged his verbal sparring, the two of them sometimes going back and forth about nothing in particular. Each night, Hannibal would adjourn, leaving Will to do whatever he did when Hannibal was asleep. 

He found more and more than he was growing fond of the vampire's company. In fact, he thought fondness might be a weak word to use when it came to his feelings about the vampire. 

Three weeks into his stay, a letter came from Mischa, detailing where she was, her latest kill, and the next vampire she was hunting. She wished him well on his kill of the infamous Dracula.

_There are rumors he has taken more, even with you in the area, dear brother. Be safe and be cautious._

_For the dead ride fast._

_Mischa_

Hannibal had been tempted to burn the letter the moment he finished reading it. Though part of him wanted to leave it out. Neither he nor Will ever spoke about what they were, and how they were technically incredibly dangerous for each other. Hannibal spent his life killing those like Will. And Will hunted humans to live. They were identically different, and yet Hannibal wanted to see the vampire for who he truly was, and bury himself within him. He longed to embrace him, to lose himself to him, to be seen by him just as he longed to see him.

It was painful, truly, to find himself watching the window where he knew Will's bedroom was. He hadn't returned after his second failed attempt to kill him, but some part of himself seemed abandoned in those chambers. 

By the beginning of the fourth week, he began training with the head of the household guard. Jack Crawford was a strong, skilled man who ran the barebones detail to keep the castle safe. His warriors were all well trained and as Hannibal learned after a wayward thrust of his sword, all human. It was strange to him that a vampire should keep so many humans around, and yet he was not the only one to inhabit the grounds. 

Days bled into night as he stayed up later to continue his conversations with Will. He was certain the vampire watched him during the day sometimes when he trained, but the only time they ever truly interacted was at dinner and the time spent together afterward. 

"I hope you're not staying in some attempt to keep me company," Will said one night, his hand wrapped around a glass of dark alcohol. "I would hate for you to delay your duties on account of me." 

Hannibal paused for a moment before answering. He had concluded that he couldn't kill the vampire, no matter what his history told him. Every instinct then would dictate he leave and let someone else dispatch him. But instead, he stayed in the castle and at the vampire's side. 

"I'm not," Hannibal answered quietly. "I quite like being here if you'll have me."

"You are welcome to stay," Will answered before taking another drink. "I trust everything is all right for your stay? Are your rooms satisfactory? The food? Is there anything you need?"

"I'm quite content. Thank you, Will." 

The other looked at him as though he knew that wasn't true, but he didn't push the matter. They were silent for a little while longer. About now was when Hannibal would dismiss himself for the night, though he found he longed to stay in Will's presence more. 

_Perhaps you'll shift your sleep cycle to wake with him all night and then sleep during the day._ His mind suggested cruelly. 

He stared at the fire for a moment before heaving a frustrated sigh, mostly at himself. "I think I will take my leave." 

He stood, feeling ocean eyes follow him. "Very well," The other's voice was soft. "Goodnight, Hannibal." 

Over and over again they did this dance and still, Hannibal retreated every time. He chided himself more as he climbed the stairs and navigated the halls to his quarters. When they became his in his mind, he didn't know. But suddenly he found himself unable to remember a time outside of the castle and away from Will.

He was falling for him. And it was terrible. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the ache that had started to grow in his chest two weeks prior and had continued to build. Every night, departing was torture, and every day he spent watching the high windows of Will's room left a hole within him he could not fill.

He shut the door to his rooms with a sigh, pressing his forehead against cool wood.

* * *

For another month, he stayed at the castle when another letter from Mischa found him, demanding for him to reply if he was alive. Soon enough, Mischa would appear at the castle doors and unlike Hannibal, she would not be as entranced by the vampire hidden within the castle's depths. 

He spent the majority of the day thinking of his reply. He should leave, he knew this. He should leave and tell the whole world that the vampire in the castle was dead. He would effectively kill Dracula, without having to do the deed. The vampire would fade into a myth that people would regale each other with around the fire. But Hannibal's continued presence was a danger to the vampire. Others would come if they thought the vampire still alive.

Will was kind to him. Hannibal never saw evidence that he was cruel to his staff, or that he fed on them, and he had never once tried to feed on Hannibal. The meals, now and then, were obviously human as Hannibal assumed they were the same people who Will had fed from. People would continue to disappear, but they had disappeared long before vampires ever appeared in the world and would continue long after.

This was the only way he could protect Will, the vampire he was certain he had fallen in love with. 

He would have to start with Mischa. He would tell her that the vampire was dead and that the staff he had hypnotized was free. He would then spread the idea into the terrified town below, though why they were terrified he didn't know. With other vampires, he understood the terror. But he didn't with Will. The town would do the rest and the castle on the hill and its inhabitants would soon become a distant memory. No one would remember they had a vampire amongst them, even as the kills continued. They would make up some excuse as to why people vanished and Will could live in peace for however long he continued to live. 

The worst part, however, would be telling him.

He didn't respond to Mischa, and as the sun went down, he readied himself for dinner.

Their shared meal was unusually quiet as Will seemed to sense Hannibal's rather dour train of thought. As always, they adjourned to the sitting room. A fire crackled in front of them as continued to sit in silence. Hannibal sipped at his drink. It wasn't that he needed courage to tell Will he was leaving. It was that everything within him didn't want him to go.

Eventually, he set his glass down with a heavy thump on the table between the two chairs. Will turned at the sound, his ocean eyes staring into Hannibal's soul. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Hannibal.

"You have to leave," He said quietly.

"Yes," Hannibal answered breathlessly. Part of him was glad that it was Will who breached the subject and not him.

"How soon?" 

"On the morrow," Hannibal answered almost silently.

"I see."

They were silent for a moment. "I appreciate your hospitality." Hannibal began, watching those brilliant eyes he had so come to cherish. 

"You could stay," Will said quietly, almost pleadingly. "I know you do not wish to return to that world. You could stay." 

"But I must, don't you see?"

"I see that you feel you must. But you don't." 

Hannibal stood then, emotion propelling him to his feet. "It is the only way." He was pleading now, begging Will to understand. 

Will stood as well, coming closer to Hannibal than he had ever dared before. "It is not." He insisted.

"I know what you are," Hannibal whispered, pulling out the last weapon in his arsenal. Pleading Will to understand that this was the only way to save him. "And you know what I am."

"You came to kill me," Will answered quietly.

"Yes," Hannibal breathed. The other took a step back, as though Hannibal had lashed out at him with that word. But Hannibal stepped forward. He could not have their relationship, their friendship, end like this. "But don't you see, Will? I cannot." He stepped closer again, invading the other's space. "I do not wish to see you dead. And if that is to be the case, I must leave. My family will come looking, they will not see you as I do." 

"And how do you see me, Hannibal?"

"As the mongoose I want under my house when the snake slithers by." There were layers in his answer to Will, among them the fact that the mongoose was on the Lecter family crest. He reached for the other, finding no resistance when his hand found the other's forearm. "But they will see you as a demon. Unnatural. Dracula." Will's calm eyes met his. "Don't you see, Will? My leaving will protect you. I will make the world think you are dead. They will forget you. And you will be free to live without anyone else coming to call." 

"Don't you see, Hannibal Lecter," Will said, stepping forward. They were incredibly close together now, so close that Hannibal could feel the heat from the other's body. "There are other ways to hide." Will's free hand lifted gently, pressing to the side of Hannibal's face. Neither had allowed touch between them, much less one this intimate. "You said you wanted to explore. We could run. You can see the world. You can see the world for eternity." 

"You would have me stay by your side?" Hannibal asked. "You would risk your life to keep me close?" He longed to close the remaining distance between them. He knew what Will was asking, what he was offering, and never until now had Hannibal ever wanted to take it. Before, he would rather die than change. Now he felt as though he might die once he left. 

"I am asking that you risk yours too," Will answered softly. "I know it too much to ask. But I find the idea of dying better than living without you at all. If you must leave, put a stake through my heart before you go. I'd rather truly meet my end than spend another lifetime without you." 

"You don't know what you ask, Will. My family will never stop. Especially not once they think you've killed me. Or changed me." Hannibal's throat ached with emotion. "I would do you better to leave, to make the world think you are dead." 

"You would do better to kill me now." Will shifted slightly, pulling a stake from somewhere in the folds of his clothes and pressing it into Hannibal's hand. "I had a love, once. Many years ago. A love and a child. And I made the devil's bargain to keep them safe. But what came out was not something that I thought was capable of love. She ran from me, with my child. And I have been alone since. I thought I could handle that solitude, just as you thought you could handle yours. But I find now that I didn't understand love as I once was. That I do now. And I can't bear to have it ripped away once again." Will leaned forward slightly. "If you are to leave, take my heart with you as it goes with you anyway." 

Hannibal turned the stake in his hand and then in a swift movement, threw it into the fire. 

"You did not strike me as one for emotion, Will."

"I admit I do not express them easily. But I have the choice to say them or forever regret my silence. And I have enough regrets without counting you among them." 

"You would run from your home for me?"

"Yes," Will breathed. 

He chanced doing what part of him longed to do for weeks now. He stepped closer into the vampire's space, pressing his lips against the other's. Will's hands shifted their grasp on him, the one that was cupping his face moving to the back of his neck while the other wrapped around Hannibal's waist. He mirrored the other as their kiss deepened. He had wanted to thread his fingers through those cherubic curls, and how he had his chance. They were just as he imagined, just as Will tasted every bit as he had dreamt. Will pressed against him, their bodies folding together as though they were meant to fit that way. He was only slightly taller than the vampire, but he could barely notice it now as he melted into the other's grasp. 

They separated only for a second for breath before Hannibal's mouth was on the other's once more. Over and over they kissed, locked in an embrace that Hannibal wasn't even certain God could break. His hands clung to the fabric of Will's jacket, daring to keep him as close as he could. He knew to some extent it must be agony for Will to be this close to a human and to restrain himself. But suddenly he didn't want him to. The creatures Hannibal had so long hated, those that took blood from others to live, were nothing compared to Will. And part of him wanted to offer him the only thing he knew he could. 

"Will," He said breathlessly between kisses. The other's mouth was insistent on his, as though he was dying of thirst and Hannibal was his water. "Will." He tried again. The other pulled away enough for him to speak, though their foreheads were pressed together. "Please," He said quietly, turning his head so Will had access to his neck. "I trust you." 

The vampire leaned forward slightly, pressing a soft kiss against his skin. "Are you certain?"

"Yes," Hannibal answered. 

He only caught a flash of fangs out of the corner of his eye before he felt a sudden piercing pain in his neck. He knew, logically, that it was dangerous to give a vampire so much free rein to that which they survived on. Part of him said he should have emptied a vein into a glass for the vampire, but a much larger part of him was humming in satisfaction at that which he could provide for the vampire. 

Will didn't stay at his neck long, as though he were afraid of what might happen if he took too much. But Hannibal noticed the change immediately. Will's grip on him tightened as his lips returned to Hannibal's. He could taste copper on the other's tongue as his insistent mouth explored Hannibal's. He pressed them together tightly, cradling Hannibal's head with one hand while he continued his onslaught of kisses. 

It was after a moment, as Will departed from his mouth to allow him to breathe, that Hannibal noticed the other change in the both of them. He was achingly hard, aroused far more than he thought possible, and Will seemed to be equally as affected. Will returned to his mouth once again, kissing him with the same fervor as he had moments before. Hannibal wasn't going to complain. He felt just as insatiable, as though he had found the only source that could feel the terrible hunger within him. 

"I need you," Hannibal said between kisses. "Will, I need you."

"As I need you," The other answered. "Hold onto me, and keep your eyes closed."

Despite his temptation, Hannibal did as instructed. The ground seemed to disappear out from under him and wind flew by him. For a moment, he felt as though he couldn't breathe, and then all at once, his breath returned. The ground steadied under his feet and he heard a fire crackling in the corner. Will peppered gentle kisses against his temple, whispered to him that he was all right and he could open his eyes once more. 

He didn't realize he had been clinging to the other, his heart hammering in his chest until he heard Will's words. When he opened his eyes, he saw that they were standing in Will's sitting room. The other still had his arms locked around him, and his mouth kissing somewhere on Hannibal's exposed flesh as though he couldn't resist. 

He turned his head slightly, capturing those perfect lips again. Will wasted no time pillaging his mouth once more, just as Hannibal did his. At one point, he let his tongue flick over the other's teeth, feeling fangs that had likely grown from canines. And it was impossibly arousing. 

His hands began fighting with the other's clothes, tearing at them until layer after layer peeled off of both of them. 

Gradually baring bodies shifted through the room until they were in Will's bedroom. Hannibal was well aware that his tendencies were more hedonistic than most, as he had been with both men and women on his travels. But this felt different to him. 

Will's kisses were somehow more insistent now as the two of them climbed awkwardly onto a rather soft bed. He let his hands explore the other's body, feeling everywhere the vampire — his vampire — was soft and everywhere he was hard. They were kneeling in front of one another on the bed, hands exploring and mouths taking and claiming. Somehow, he felt as though he belonged to this glorious vampire now, this god who graced him with his attention. 

Their erections brushed between them and Hannibal let out a low moan into the other's mouth. Will's hips bucked slightly, brushing them together once more and he moaned again. Their kisses continued as they fell into a graceless heap on the bed, Hannibal immediately moving to cover Will's body with his own. Will kept one hand fisted in his hair while the other traced over Hannibal's skin, memorizing it under adept fingertips. 

"Will you let me have you, my love?" 

The words shot through Hannibal as though he had been struck by lightning. "Yes. Yes, Will." 

Will's hand continued moving downward, over the swell of his ass, and then back only to drift downward again. Their mouths stayed locked together, as though the only way they could live was to steal breath from each other. Will's hand left him for a moment and Hannibal saw a small vile that he dropped onto the bed. He knew immediately what it was, and he was grateful for it. This might hurt otherwise. But it seemed as though the vampire was rather reluctant to hurt him. Though there were ways he might enjoy it. 

When Will's fingers drifted lower again, they were wet. Hannibal shifted himself slightly before he felt those trailing fingers brush over his hole. He had never been the one penetrated, but it seemed Will had a way of upending everything he thought he knew about himself. He would submit to this for Will. 

The other was gentle, almost caressing Hannibal as he inserted a finger in him. The angle must be awkward for Will, but he wasn't complaining. Instead, he kept his mouth attached to Hannibal's and their bodies pressed together. After a moment, though, he groaned, rolling them so he had better access. Hannibal almost laughed but Will added another finger then and he felt a jolt of pleasure move up his body. 

"Will, I fear if you wait much longer I won't be able to control myself." 

Will chuckled slightly, pressing a kiss against Hannibal's neck. "I have wished to see you without your usual composure. I know your darkness, Hannibal Lecter. Perhaps you will reward me with it when next we need our appetites quenched."

Another jolt of pleasure ran through Hannibal's body at Will's words. "Is it different to be like you? Does the change cause that much of a difference?"

"Your senses are heightened," Will replied. "You'll find that expanded palate of yours will find more flavors." He never asked how Will knew as much as he did. Though now it seemed they had all the time in the world to discuss it. Will crooked his fingers, and a warm jolt of pleasure rocked through Hannibal's body. "But I would have you as a human this time. I would have you as you are so you know what more there is when you are not." 

"I may change," Hannibal began, fighting the pleasure that threatened to silence his mind. "But I will always be yours." 

"We mate for life, Hannibal," Will whispered against the shell of his ear. "Do not promise me eternity if you do not wish to keep it." 

"There is no one else I would rather spend eternity with. I have fallen for you, Will. You have made me love you from afar. And now I don't wish to part. Not now. Not after I finally have you. Leaving would have been terrible enough with our distance, but now that I know the pleasure of your touch, I could not bear to be without it." 

"Then you won't." The other withdrew his hand then and shifted them to settle between Hannibal's thighs. 

It took all of his remaining self-control not to fall over the edge as Will pushed into him. His hand fisted in those damned curls, bringing Will's lips back to his as the other seated himself fully within him. He let Hannibal adjust for a moment, but Hannibal was almost willing to scream that he would take the pain if only Will would make love to him already. 

The other didn't make him wait for long as he began to shift, pulling his hips back and snapping them forward. Will's grip on him became almost painful as his movements increased, their bodies grinding together. Their lips met again, hungrier this time. Hannibal's heart pounded in his chest as though it were trying to escape from its bone cage to settle next to Will's where it belonged. 

Will continued to push into him, the sounds of their joining echoing off stone walls. Hannibal had never felt such ecstasy before Will took him, claimed him. The hand that wasn't currently acting as Hannibal's pillow continued trailing down his body until he found his hip. He gripped him tightly, thrusting himself into Hannibal over and over. Hannibal shifted his own hips to meet the movements, matching him thrust for thrust. They were reduced to panting breaths and a series of moans shared in the small space between them. Will's hand moved to his aching erection, pumping it in time with his thrusts. Hannibal was being driven wild. 

He was clinging to Will, one hand still in the other's hair and the other digging half-moons into his shoulder. He could stay like this forever. He wanted to stay like this forever. He never wanted to leave this bed. He wanted them to stay there together, drawing pleasure from one another until the sun fell from the sky. 

"Will," He panted.

"Hannibal." His name never sounded as good as it did falling from Will's lips with his voice filled with pleasure. 

"Please, Will. I'm going to- I'm-"

"As am I." 

He wrapped his arms around the other, pressing them together tightly, and pulling them over that cliff together. 

Will's name came tumbling from his lips as he bathed in that all-encompassing pleasure while Will clung to him, seemingly unable to say anything or even breathe as he buried himself in Hannibal, spilling into his body. 

After an eternity, or maybe only a minute, Will pulled out and Hannibal felt a strange sense of emptiness at the other's departure. 

Will took in a shaky breath before standing from the bed. Hannibal watched his surprisingly muscular form as he walked through the room to the wash bin, cleaning himself up and then moving to do the same for Hannibal. He wanted to draw him, just as he was, with his curls in a million different directions and his body still covered in sweat from their lovemaking. Will eventually returned to him, shifting them both so they could cover themselves with the blanket of his bed. 

They lied there in silence for a long moment, neither speaking out loud, but enough was said through their searching eyes. 

"When will you turn me?" Hannibal asked quietly.

"When you want me to." 

"And if I want that now?" 

"If that is what you wish, my love." 

"I'll have to write my sister," Hannibal said quietly, reaching out to trace the other's body. "I'll tell her something." Will didn't speak. "And then it will just be you and I." 

"Forever, my love." Will pulled him closer, pressing their foreheads together as their legs tangled. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Anything." 

"Will I be this insatiable for after I've turned?" 

Will laughed softly then. "Oh my dear, you have yet to understand insatiable." 

Will was back on him then and Hannibal felt something he was certain he never had before.

Love.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come yell at me on [Tumblr](https://neurowriter14.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NWriter14)


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